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Door Hinge

Door Hinge Installation Made Easy

A sagging car door can be pretty annoying, not to mention a safety hazard. You'll find it difficult to open and close your car door properly if it's loose and sagging, so you need to check on this problem right away before your door completely falls off or flies open while you're driving. A damaged door hinge is usually the culprit behind a sagging car door. Over time, the hinge may weaken and may not be able to support the door's weight. Replacing the worn-out door hinge with a new one will help fix this problem. You can do the removal and replacement yourself to save money on repair costs. Installing a new door hinge can be pretty easy; it won't take up much of your time. As long as you have the proper tools and hardware, you can get the job done in a snap.

Required skill level: Novice

Needed tools and materials

Socket wrench

Floor jack

Rope

Securing the car door

First, you need to make sure your car door is properly positioned and secured before doing the task. This will help you do the removal and installation a lot easier. Use a floor jack to hold the car door up, or you may use a heavy-duty rope to prop up its frame.

Removing the bolts

Remove the bolts on the hinges. You may need to take out the bolts that secure the hinge to the door first before working on the bolts that keep the hinge attached to the car frame. A proper-size socket wrench can be used to loosen the bolts. Once all bolts have been taken out, remove the floor jack and gently set your car door down on the floor.

Installing the new door hinge

Align the new hinge with the bolts on the door's frame. Make sure it is positioned properly before installing it and tightening the bolts. Reattach the door to the car's body using new bolts. Check the door's alignment to see if it swings properly. Tighten all bolts once the door is set and aligned correctly.

Door Hinge Articles

You've probably experienced the trouble of a sagging and loose door at one point in your life as a car owner. Fortunately, you can always rely on a good door hinge replacement to fix this problem. With the wide range of brands in the market, it can be quite difficult to choose the right door hinge that will suit your needs. Rugged Ridge and Smittybilt, two of the leading door hinge manufacturers in the industry, both offer high-quality door hinge replacements. However, choosing between these two brands can be tricky. Read the guide below to help you pick the right door hinge brand for your car.

Construction

Both brands offer stainless steel door hinges that are extremely durable and resistant to rust. But the point goes to Smittybilt because it went the extra mile and designed its door hinges with electrostatic polishing. Aside from their heavy-duty steel construction, Smittybilt door hinges also have a mirrored finish that will certainly add a wow factor to your doors. Rugged Ridge is not one to fall behind the competition though, as its door hinges are also polished with a cast stainless steel design. However, they lack the mirrored finish of Smittybilt's door hinges, and we also noticed that their construction's leaning a bit more toward thin aluminum instead of solid gauge steel.

WINNER:Smittybilt

Installation

Easy, bolt-on installation with no drilling required-Smittybilt and Rugged Ridge door hinges will make the job easier for you. Both offer quick solutions to your sagging door problem, as they come with all the hardware necessary to complete the installation. Therefore, both brands take the cake on this one.

WINNER:Smittybilt and Rugged Ridge

Design

Smittybilt door hinges add style and elegance to your ride, while Rugged Ridge's hinges provide a beefy, off-road look. If you're going for a unique and customized look, then both brands can give it to you.

WINNER:Smittybilt and Rugged Ridge

Warranty

The verdict

Smittybilt and Rugged Ridge door hinges have their own set of pros and cons. Both brands provide durable and stylish door hinge replacements that are easy to install, so the playing field is almost equal. It basically depends on the style and warranty you're looking for.